Picker stick check



E. H. A$HTN ET AL.

PICKER STICK CHECK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR EVERETT H-ASHTON mean-r a. mums mm AMASTRIANI av M! TZMWM ATTORNEY @cit. 111, 1949. E. H. ASHTQN ET AL.

PICKER STICK CHECK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR EVERETT H. ASHTON ROBERT G, HIM-LARK ELVIN A.MASTRIANI BY 25mm ATTORNEY Pem ed'oa. 11, 1949 PICKEB STICK CHECK Everett n. Ashton, Jersey City, N. 1., new a Y., and Elvin A. Mastriani, Newark, N. 1., seal Mallard, New York,

Kellogg Company, New York, N. Y., a corpora tion of Delaware gnorstoThehLW Application August 21. 194s, Serial No. mm

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to fly shuttle looms and,v as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to improvements in picker stick checks.

The flight of the shuttle in ily shuttle looms is checked in part by the friction set up between the shuttle and the front box plate and a spring biased binder and in part by the usual picker stick checking mechanism. It is necessary that the shuttle be brought to rest in a predetermined position in the shuttle in engagement with the picker. The spring biased binder applies clamping pressure to the shuttle and frictional resistance between the binder and the shuttle is sufficient, when the picker is properly positioned, to check the shuttle and to prevent rebound thereof. The tension on the binder spring is carefully adjusted to permit complete boxing of the shuttle without rebound. It

is difficult, however, in present looms to so locate the picker lengthwise of the shuttle box that the extent of movement of the picker is substantially identical each time that the shuttle is boxed. Various devices have been applied to the various picker stick checks now in use to insure that the picker stick with the picker thereon will be returned to a predetermined position after the completion of the picking stroke thereof. These deof the shuttle box shown in Fig. 1;

box with the shuttle tip Fig. 3 is a view simflar to Fig. 1 but showing the shuttle in checked position; and

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation corresponding to Fig. 3.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown as applied to a right hand shuttle box Ill but it is evident that the invention is also applied to the left hand shuttle box. The construction of the picker stick check is substantially identical in either case and hence it will be necessary only to describe the illustrated right hand shuttle check. w

The shuttle box It comprises bottom box plate i2, a front box plate 14 and a binder l6 pivoted on a stud i3 eccentrically mounted on the botvices have not been satisfactory since in manycases they interfere with proper picking of the shuttle or are not sufllciently positive in operation to stop the picker stick in a predetermined position.

One object of the present invention is to provide a picker stick check which is positive in operation and which will not interfere with proper picking of the shuttle. To this end and as illustrated, means are provided for positively stopping the picker stick in a predetermined position as it returns towards picking position after the completion of' its picking stroke and which is so arranged that the resistance it offers to the Dicker stick at the beginning of the picking stroke is of little consequence when compared to the force,

applied to the picker stick at the beginning of the picking stroke.

Another object of the invention is to provide a picker stick check which may be' readily adjusted to insure proper checking of the picker stick under all conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to improve generally upon the construction and operation of picker stick checking mechanisms.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end of a shuttle box to which a preferred embodiment of the invention is applied;

tom box plate l2. The binder i6 is of usual construction and is spring biased into forward position to cause the swell" thereon to be engaged by the incoming shuttle 20. The forward face of the binder I6 is provided with a friction facing 22 formed of suitable friction material such, for example, as leather. As the shuttle 20 enters the shuttle box I U, the tapered end of the shuttle engages the swell of the binder I6 and forces it rearwardly against the pressure of the binder spring. The friction facing 22 and the front box plate l4 offer suiiiclent resistance to the shuttle 2ilto decrease its speed at the time that it engages the picker 24 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I The picker 24 is carred by a picker stick 26 which extends .through a slot 26 formed in the bottom box plate i2. The picker stick 26 at its lower end is provided with a usual parallel which is supported on a parallel shoe in the usual manner. The picker stick 26 and the parts secured thereto have appreciable mass and the inertia of the picker stick 26 is substantial.

The upper end of the picker stick 26 has secured thereto a cam plate 3|! b a bolt 32 which is threaded into a nut 34 mounted in a transverse hole in the picker stick 26. As best shown in Figs. land 3, .the cam plate 30 is provided with a pair of cam surfaces 36 which are engaged by the inner ends of leaf springs 38. To facilitate entrance of the cam surfaces 36 between springs 38, the outer corners of cam plate 30 are rounded. Thecam surfaces 36 diverge so that the ends of the springs 38 are separated as the picker stick 26 moves outwardly toward the, position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The cam surfaces 36 are so arranged that maximum pressure thereon is reached before the picker stick 26 reaches the outer limit of its movement. The inner ends of the springs 38 then engage cam surfaces 40 which are inclined toward each other so that pressure on these surfaces 40 reaches a minimum when the picker stick 26 reaches the outer limit brought gradually and positively to a full stop without danger of rebounding.

The outer rounded end of the cam plate 30 cooperates with the ends of springs 38 to provide a stop which acts to position the picker stick 26 in precisely the same position at the end of each return stroke, after picking, thereof. During the latter portion of its return stroke, after picking, the picker stick 28 is traveling at a relatively low rate of speed and hence only slight pressure is necessary to stop the picker stick 26, after picking. The precise position of the picker stick 28 at the end of the return stroke, is controlled by stop members 42 which are secured in position in loops 44 forming a part of the inner end portion of the springs 38. Into the adiacent ends of the stop. members 42 are threaded adjusting screws 45. Thus, the initial separation of the inner end portions of the springs 38 is readily controlled and the stopped position of the picker stick 26 may be determined precisely.

The leaf springs 38 are supported in a bracket 48 which is fixed to the lay beam 50 by cap screws 52. The bracket '48 extends upwardly and is provided with an upper portion 54 which is recessed at 56 to receive the inwardly bent outer ends 58 of the leaf springs 38. The springs 38 may be formed from two strips, if so desir'ed, but they are preferably formed, as illustrated, from a single strip of spring stock. The bent portions 58 are curved or bowed, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 3. A bolt 68 passes through the bowed portion and through an opening in the bracket 48. By tightening the nut 62, the tension on each of the leaf springs 38 is increased and, by loosening the nut 62, the tension of the leaf springs 38 is decreased. Thus, the tension of the springs may be varied, as desired, to permit proper boxing of the shuttle 28. If, for example, the shuttle is not completely boxed with the picker stick 28 in its extreme outer position, the tension of the springs 38 may be decreased, by loosening the nut 62 until the picker stick is brought to a stop at the extreme outer end of the slot 28. Thus ad- Justments may be made to compensate for varying conditions of operation.

It i apparent that the cam member 39 could be carried by the bracket 48 and the springs 38 could be carried by the picker stick, if so desired. It is also evident that the springs 38 need not be in the form of flat leaf springs but could 'be rigid strips biased toward each other by coil springs or by other resilient means, such for example, as resilient rubber pads.

The present construction provides positive 4 means for stopping the picker stick 25 in a predetermined position where the picker 28 is engaged by the incoming shuttle 28. Furthermore,

quick and convenient means is provided for adjusting or controlling the action of the picker stick check which operates to increase the checking pressure on the stick 25 and then to reduce 4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A picker stick check for fly shuttle looms comprising a cam member fixed to the upper end of said picker stick and having a pair of connected diverging cam surfaces, resilient means arranged to engage said cam surfaces and to stop said picker stick ina predetermined position as it returns toward stopping position, and means for varying the separation of said resilient means to control the stopping position of said picker stick.

2. A picker stick check for fly shuttle looms comprising a cam member fixed to the upper end of the picker stick and having on opposite sides thereof a pair ofdiverging cam surfaces and a pair of converging cam surfaces, resilient means having spaced arms arranged yieldingly to engage said diverging cam surfaces, means on said arms for varying the spacing thereof to vary the position at which the arms will engage said diverging surfaces and thus determine positively the position at which the picker stick will stop as it returns toward stopping position.

3. A picker stick check for fly shuttle looms comprising a cam member fixed to the upper end portion of a picker stick and having a pair of diverging cam surfaces and a pair of converging cam surfaces, resilient means having a pair of spaced arms arranged to engage said diverging cam surfaces to stop the picker stick in a predetermined position, means on said arms for varying the spacing thereof for determining the the checking pressure on the stick 25 as the speed thereof decreases. Since the resistance offered by the cam 30 and the springs 38 to the movement of the stick 26 and the picker 24 during the initial picking movement of the picker 24 is small as compared to the magnitude of the force applied to the stick 26 during said initial movement, said initial movement will be compare: tively free and unimpeded.

Having thus described our invention what we step position of said picker, and means for adlusting the tension of said resilient means for controlling the movement of said picker stick toward and into picking position.

4. In a picker stick check for fly shuttle looms. a cam fixed to the upper end portion of a picker stick, said cam having a pair of diverging cam surfaces and a pair of converging cam surfaces, a pair of leaf springs having end portions arranged to engage said cam surfaces, a bracket fixed to a loom lay and supporting said leaf springs, and means on said bracket for adjusting the tension of said leaf springs on said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces and said leaf springs being so arranged that resistance to movement of the picker stick increases during the early portion of its movement toward picking position and then decreases as the picker stick continues its movement to picking position.

EVERETT H. ASHTON.- ROBERT G. MAILARD. ELVIN A. MASTRIANI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

